Bringing olden ways to modern days for Wiccans,
Witches,
Pagans,
And all who honor a nature-based path.
This is Desert Magic with Crow Moon.
Merry meet and welcome back to another episode of Desert Magic,
Coming to you from the beautiful and magical desert of Southern Arizona.
I'm your host,
Crow Moon.
A blessed summer solstice and Sabbath of Letha to all.
When I say that I send warm and bright blessings to you,
I do mean so in every sense of the word.
The summer solstice is as pronounced here in Southern Arizona as the winter solstice is in Alaska.
We have well over 300 days of sunshine each year here in the desert.
So by the time the Sabbath of Letha rolls around,
Most of us have completely forgotten what winter feels like.
Those of us who celebrate the summer solstice here usually choose to do so indoors,
Because saying it's hot outside is quite the understatement.
The fact that we are now able to fry an egg on a sidewalk has long since lost its novelty at this point.
But as soon as the sun sets,
The desert immediately cools,
With the temperature dropping as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the season.
Those of us who say at noon that we've had too much sun and heat are reminded each evening how impossible life would be were the sun to disappear altogether.
It is a daily lesson about the importance of the sun and its energy.
It is a daily lesson in mindfulness.
If we were any further away from the sun than we are,
Life as we know it could not exist.
If we were any closer to the sun,
We would be consumed by it.
At the height of summer,
We long for winter.
When the earth is covered with snow,
We yearn for the summer.
The Wheel of the Year continually teaches us that nothing fades away forever and that new life comes each day.
On this longest day of the year,
We call out to the Great Lord who is known by many names and whose power is symbolized by the sun.
He sends to us light and warmth from the sky to sustain us in all that we do.
As the Horned God,
He roams the earth with us,
The Lord of all that's wild and free.
We celebrate you on this day of your zenith.
That was Sunset Spells by Yours Truly,
A lo-fi track I wrote for relaxing on a summer evening.
Nature,
On the other hand,
Is quite active at this time.
The earth is full of the sun's energy right now,
And the earth is busy spending energy that has been stored during the dark half.
The days become a lot longer before slowly becoming shorter.
In Wicca,
We see the cycles of nature in what is known as the Wheel of the Year,
And the wheel is divided into two equal parts,
The light and dark halves of the year.
Symbolizing the two halves of the year are the Oak King,
Who represents light and summer,
And the Holly King,
Who represents dark and winter.
These two monarchs are also seen by some as personifications of the dual aspects of the Horned God.
Only one king reigns at a time before his throne is overtaken by the other in an endless cycle that repeats year after year.
Some recognize this change taking place during the solstices,
While others hold that it occurs at the equinoxes.
Regardless,
The battle between the two kings occurs each year.
The legend surrounding this is the tale of two brothers,
Both of whom sought to rule the land in his preferred way.
The Oak King,
Often depicted wearing a crown of oak leaves,
And the Holly King,
Who wore an evergreen wreath,
Battled endlessly and fiercely.
They could agree on one thing,
However,
Their love for the goddess.
Wishing for there to be a truce between the brothers,
The goddess called for them to divide their reigns equally.
This prompted the kings to fight for dominance even more.
This great battle occurred on the equinox,
And there was equal day and equal night as the Oak King was defeated.
Assuming that his brother had been slain in the fight,
The Holly King rose to power.
Shortly thereafter,
The days grew shorter and colder,
And the animals began to hibernate.
Soon,
The Holly King became forlorn at the loss of his brother.
Months later,
He learned that his brother was still very much alive,
And the Oak King returned to claim the throne once again.
When this happened,
The days grew longer,
The animals came forth from their slumber,
And the earth became fertile once more.
From this point forward,
Their dominion remained equally divided.
That was The Lo-Fi Witch,
Also by me.
When the sun is at the height of its power,
I always find this to be an exceptional time for us to reflect upon and celebrate our personal power.
Just as with the sun,
There are days in which our personal power radiates more noticeably than others.
Sometimes we will sense our energy at full force,
And other times we might feel as though this power is obscured by whatever appears before us as clouds.
But also,
Just as the sun,
Our same power is ever present,
Even during times when it or even displayed.
Reflect upon this during this season.
If the summer temperatures are keeping you indoors,
Don't feel that your personal power has been stifled.
Take this time to bring awareness to your strength.
Meditate.
Nourish your energy.
Be,
In your own way,
A source of light that allows those around you to grow.
And,
Just as the sun,
Be constantly replenishing the energy you share so that it will be unending,
Reliable,
And ever present.
On Midsummer's Day,
The sun is shining bright.
May we be a reflection of that very light.
May we be a powerful,
Healing energy to both ourselves and those we see.
Brightness we receive and brightness we give.
By the sun's light,
All things on earth live.
At the summer solstice,
And always,
May your personal power be as vibrant as that of the sun.
And as we call upon our power to act for the highest good,
Never forget that this also applies to your highest good.
Thank you for joining me for this episode,
And thank you for being magical.
Until next time,
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message.
Blessed Be.
